Coreopsis plant named ‘Madras Magic’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Coreopsis  plant named ‘Madras Magic’ characterized by daisy-type inflorescences that grow to 4 cm in diameter, inflorescences that are dark rose burgundy with streaks of creamy white near the tips, hardy to Zone 6, maybe lower, grass green foliage on short stems, flowering for the whole summer, a low, mounding habit, and excellent vigor.

Latin name: Coreopsis verticillata hybrid.

Varietal denomination: ‘Madras Magic’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Coreopsis and giventhe cultivar name ‘Madras Magic’. Coreopsis is in the family Asteraceae.This new cultivar originated from a controlled breeding program toproduce hardy compact Coreopsis. The new cultivar originated fromplanned cross of two proprietary unnamed Coreopsis verticillata hybridseedlings. The new cultivar of Coreopsis is an herbaceous perennial tobe grown for landscape and container use in a sunny site.

Compared to the parent seedlings the new variety is much shorter withlarger flowers and a more upright habit.

Compared to Coreopsis ‘Show Stopper’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,671, thenew cultivar is much shorter and much more compact.

Compared to Coreopsis ‘Cosmic Evolution’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,9453,the new cultivar is smaller and more compact and has smaller, darkerflowers.

Compared to Coreopsis ‘Mercury Rising’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,689, thenew cultivar has a tighter more compact habit and flowers that are adark rose burgundy rather than red.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of the new variety. These characteristicsin combination distinguish Coreopsis ‘Madras Magic’ as a new anddistinct cultivar:

-   -   1. daisy-type inflorescences that grow to 4 cm in diameter,    -   2. inflorescences that are dark rose burgundy with streaks of        creamy white near the tips,    -   3. hardy to Lone 6, maybe lower,    -   4. grass green foliage on short stems,    -   5. flowering for the whole summer,    -   6. a low, mounding habit, and    -   7. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttingsand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a nine-month-old Coreopsis ‘Madras Magic’ growing in theground in the trial field in July in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows a close up of the flowers.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Coreopsis cultivarbased on observations of nine-month-old specimens growing in one galloncontainers in full sun in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDAHardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to 32°F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. Thecolor descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural SocietyColour Chart, 5^(th) edition, 2007.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 6 to 9.        -   Size.—45 cm wide and 37 cm tall to top of inflorescences.        -   Form.—Mound.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.        -   Roots.—Fibrous, stems root easily from stem cuttings.-   Stem:    -   -   Type.—Ascending, well branched.        -   Size.—Grows to 24 cm tall and 8 mm wide.        -   Number of stems from the crown.—5.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branched, an average of 7 paired            lateral branches with secondary branches, branches are            opposite in arrangement, new lateral flowering branches are            continuously produced throughout the summer.        -   Internode length.—1 cm to 3.5 cm.        -   Surface.—Minutely glandular.        -   Color.—Brown 200A at bottom 7 cm blending to Yellow Green            147B.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Shape.—Pinnately 3-parted into thread-like segments to            linear on top leaves.        -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Size.—Grow to 8.5 cm wide and 9.5 cm long; the terminal            linear segment can grow to 42 mm long and 2 mm wide,            laterals can grow to 35 mm long and 2 mm wide.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Petiole.—0 mm to 1.5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, Green 137A.        -   Surface texture.—Sparsely pubescent on top and minutely            glandular on bottom side.        -   Venation.—Pinnate, visible main vein the same color as the            leaf on both sides.        -   Color.—Topside Green N137A, bottom side Green N137B.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Long stalked terminal heads of daisy type            inflorescences.        -   Peduncle.—Grows to 7.5 cm long, 1 mm wide, glabrous, Green            137A.        -   Size.—Grows to 4 cm wide and 8 mm deep.        -   Immature (bud).—Globular, 7 mm wide and 8 mm deep, Yellow            Green 138A, glabrous.        -   Receptacle.—Disc shaped, 3 mm wide and 1.5 mm deep, Green            148B.        -   Phyllaries.—In 2 series; first series closet to ray florets            in an area 5 mm deep and spreading 12 wide mm, 8 in number,            each 6 mm long and 3 mm wide, lanceolate, margin entire, tip            acute, glabrous on both sides, both sides Yellow Orange 16A            on top ½ blending to 138A on bottom ⅔; lower series in an            area 3 mm deep and 8 mm wide, 8 linear lobes, each 3 mm long            and 1.5 mm wide, margin entire, tip acute, top side            glandular, bottom side glabrous, both sides Green 137A.        -   Self-cleaning.—Yes.        -   Lastingness.—Each inflorescence lasts about a week on the            plant.-   Florets:    -   -   Type.—Composite.        -   Ray florets.—8 in number with no pistil or stamen, grows to            22 mm long, 8 mm wide, obovate, with the tip obtuse to 2            notched, margins entire, glabrous on both sides; topside            Purple N79B on bottom half blending to streaks of White 155A            on top half, bottom side Greyed Brown 199D (where purple on            top) to Yellow 4D (where White of top).        -   Disc.—Flat becoming rounded with maturity, 9 mm wide and            becoming 5 mm deep with maturity, Orange 22A.        -   Disc florets.—Tubular, with stamen and pistil, about 90 in            number, 8 mm long and 1 mm wide, tubular; corolla 5 mm long,            5 lobed, tube Yellow 13B, lobes Greyed Purple 187A; pistil            1, 8 mm long, ovary 3 mm long, Green Yellow 1C, style 4 mm            long, with extruding, 2-branched stigma, stigma and style            Yellow Orange 22A; stamen 5, anthers 1.2 mm long, Greyed            Brown N199B, pollen none.        -   Bloom period.—June through frost in Canby, Oreg.        -   Fragrance.—No noticeable.        -   Seed.—None seen.        -   Fertility.—Unknown.-   Disease and pests: No pests or diseases have been observed on plants    grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg. No resistances are    known.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Coreopsis plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.